Weekly Advent broadcasts on RTE. Review of Advent services this week
Beginning today on Advent Sunday Tim Thurston intends to play approximately fifteen minutes of Bach’s organ music every Sunday morning around 9 am on his Gloria programme on RTE Lyric FM.
As many of the chorale preludes are specific to particular Sundays they will be preceded by appropriate cantatas by Buxtehude or Schutz.These organ works are known only to a tiny proportion of music lovers and are rarely heard over the airwaves.
Tim Thurston’ s hope is that church organists may be encouraged to play the works which he showcases during, before or after their liturgies later on the same day. He hopes also to advertise where the works may be heard live and, from time to time, to mention on air opportunities for Gloria listeners to visit their local churches to experience the ‘live event’. A detailed list of his selections will be available on the Gloria page of the Lyric website (www.rte.ie.lyricfm/gloria) an on the Church Music Dublin website (www.churchmusicdublin.org/).
Advent will be marked today with Advent Processions in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin at 5pm and in St Patrick’s cathedral at 5.15pm. In St Mary’s cathedral, Limerick, there will be an Advent Carol Service at 7pm and at the same time there will be a Diocesan Advent Carol Service in St Macartan’s cathedral, Clogher.
On Wednesday at 7pm, the Church of Ireland Theological Institute will hold a Service of Advent Carols in St Nahi’s church, Dundrum, where the Archbishop of Dublin will preside.
On Thursday at 5.15 the Revd Darren McCallig, Church of Ireland Dean of Residence, will be the preacher at ‘Carols by Candlelight: Words and Music for the Season of Advent’ in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin.